California Record Stores part 3 will focus on the record stores I visited on my latest California trip, except from the ones in Los Angeles and San Francisco, which I already presented on parts 1 & 2. You'll notice that this concerns some smaller towns; obviously there are scores of record stores at other Californian cities (San Jose, San Diego, Fresno, Sacramento, Berkeley and Oakland, to name a few), but I didn't stop there during my recent California road trip - or, if I did, I didn't spend enough time to go record hunting. I did spend a night in San Luis Obispo, a beautiful town situated in the middle of an idyllic landscape. I didn't expect it to offer much in the way of culture, but there's a big theater where pop concerts take place, as well as nice bookstores and an excellent record store called Boo Boo Records. A shop that would stand out even in a big city, with great ambience, and surprisingly large in size and variety of music it offers (rock jazz folk country metal world hip hop etc). Used CDs cost $5, some offers $1-2, LPs new $20-35, used $5-10, some rare around $40. Another city we stayed at, was Monterey, which gave me the chance to visit a number of shops: Recycled Records (604 Lighthouse Ave) offers mostly used LPs ($5-15), CDs, and 45's, as well as some new ($25-35) and rare/collectible pieces above $50. They have a very good jazz selection, as well as pop and rock music. A bit closer to local attraction Cannery Row, there's a big "Antique Mall". I found it while looking for a place registered on google as Mark's Records (on 471 Wave Street), which may be closed, or may be now -or may always have been- incorporated in this building. Here one can find at least a couple of stalls with vinyl, mostly selling for a reasonable $5-15.
A third record store in Monterey, which I didn't get to visit, is Siren Records on 527 Ramona Ave. As far as I know, it's also the only one focusing on new, rather than used, vinyl. Pacific Grove may be a different municipality to Monterey, but the two are adjoined. So, in the course of the same morning, I managed to visit another couple of interesting record stores: Vinyl Revolution carries a lots of good stuff, including 60's psychedelia/garage and 70's classic rock; mostly original records though not always in good condition. Prices vary wildly (from $2 to above $40), but one can generally find a good album in acceptable condition around $10. Also used CDs $5-10. The other record store here is called Pop & Hiss. The name mystifies me; why call your shop after of two of the less agreeable qualities of vinyl records? Anyway, this rather small shop does carry some nice used records, mostly rock ($5-15, collectible $20-50, some random bargains under $5). From Pacific Grove, we took the 17-mile scenic route to the incredibly picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, then drove a few miles south on Highway 1 before heading back to Monterey because a part of the coastal road had sunk into the ocean.
We spent the next night in San Francisco, and a few days later we were in wine country, Napa and Sonoma. Once again, I didn't have high expectations on the vinyl hunting front, yet I did find a couple of great shops. The first one was Folklore Napa Drinks & Vinyl Shop; which makes it sound like a wine bar using vinyl as a gimmick; far from it, it is a regular record store with a surprisingly good vinyl collection in all genres, arranged alphabetically (new LPs $18-45, used $10-40). A cool place to combine record browsing with wine tasting and a cheese platter or salad. A bit out of the city, at the edge of a shopping mall, there's a more typical record store called Right On!!!Napa (2375 California Blvd A). It's clean, spacious, and air conditioned, something I appreciated when I went inside, though not as much as the records in the bargain bins - I left with a dozen or so perfectly good $1 records - nothing collectible, but certainly not trash. Most used records were $10-40 (new $25-40), a great selection of rock, jazz, soul, and alternative. I'm guessing there's a regular culling of less "interesting" items to keep the merchandise fresh - and in this case I benefited from it. The owner (or clerk) was also friendly, and knowledgeable. As a rule, we found the people in smaller towns to be very friendly and hospitable, and that also goes for towns not mentioned on the title of this blogpost, like Sonoma and El Paso Robles. Another side of America, after visiting LA. with its big city vibe. Also a different vibe from Europe, where small towns can be just as charming, but the people are less open. The food was amazing, too - big hearty portions (thankfully we walked many miles per day and got to burn those calories), delicious barbequed meats, and great tacos and burritos; certainly different from what you get in Mexican restaurants in Europe. More authentic? I'll reserve judgement until I take a similar roadtrip in Mexico. But certainly more satisfactory. In general, California presented us with an interesting mix of American and Latino culture - with added Asian and European influences, especially in SF. This was my first trip to the USA, and while I always knew it to be the proverbial cultural melting pot, it was nice to see it in action. I'd love to return to the Golden State soon, but there's so much more America to experience; from New York to Texas to Memphis to New Orleans, so many places full of musical landmarks, great nature, and local cuisine to experience... One thing's for sure: any new city I visit, you can expect to get my report on the local record store scene.
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